The present novel concept broadly relates to the art of fluid suspension members and, more particularly, to a multi-component end member assembly suitable for use in forming an air spring assembly and a method of manufacturing the same.
Typical air spring assemblies include opposing end members and a flexible wall secured on the end members forming a spring chamber therebetween. A wide variety of arrangements for securing such a flexible wall on an end member are known and commonly used. It is recognized that different securing arrangements have different advantages, such as low cost, improved sealing or reliability, high strength, or a capability of disassembly and/or repair, for example. Thus, different securing arrangements are selected and used in different applications depending upon the specific needs and goals thereof. In many cases, a different securing arrangement will be selected and used on each of the two different end members of an air spring assembly.
Unfortunately, some securing arrangements and/or combination of arrangements can create assembly difficulties. This can undesirably limit the use of such arrangements and/or combination of arrangements. As an example, one securing arrangement includes a flexible wall secured on an outer side wall of an end member using a first retaining member. The flexible wall is then folded back over the retaining member and extends along the exterior thereof. A second retaining member can then optionally be secured outwardly of the first retaining member. The difficulty with assembling such securing arrangements is associated with positioning the flexible wall on the side wall of the end member prior to the securement of the first retaining member. Typically, this is due to the presence of a shoulder at one end of the outer side wall, though other features may also be present that can contribute to these assembly difficulties. The present novel concept overcomes the foregoing and other assembly difficulties.